Audio Alchemy DTI PRO 32 CD Players
Audio Alchemy DTI PRO 32 CD Players
USER REVIEWS
[Nov 15, 2011]
cris91music
AudioPhile
Dear friend from Australia
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[Nov 17, 1997]
Larry
an Audiophile
DDS Pro, DTI PRO 32 with AD chip upgrade and PS2, DDE 3.0 with 89C51 microprocessor and RW1 (recently replaced with Camelot Uther 2.0), all connected with Camelot Excalibur III I2S buses, DLC & RW1 have been replaced with the Legacy High Current Pre-amp (which can be completely bypassed for less sound degradation owing to Uther's analog domain volume control), AA OM90.1 pure class A balanced monoblocs, Legacy Whisper speakers with Steradian, Nordost SPM and Red Dawn interconnects, and Nordost SPM biwire speaker cables. The PRO 32 is an excellent sounding unit capable of providing outstanding resolution enhancement. Bass became tighter and had more snap. Highs were cleaner and much more accurate; cymbals had more shimmer and better decay characteristics, without any of that sizzling bacon effect. Imaging was greatly improved, with a deeper and wider soundstage, and more air between individual instruments and voices. Vocals became more fluid and lifelike. Interestingly, direct AB comparisons of the PRO 32 with the Genesis Digital Lens while the DDE 3.0 was still in my system, revealed a marked superiority of the Lens over the PRO 32, primarily in improved bass control, which was faster and more detailed, and in improved imaging. The PRO 32 was flatter in comparison. However, with the Uther 2.0 in place of the DDE 3.0, the PRO 32 faired much better in otherwise indentical AB testing, becoming almost the sonic equal to the Genesis, with only slightly less refined bass control, and a barely less layered soundstage, and at a lower price. I highly recomend the use of I2S buses where possible. Additionally, there appears to be no loss of component "synergy" when substituting the non-AA equipment I've listed, including the Legacy pre-amp, and especially and for obvious reasons, the Camelot Uther 2.0. My DDE 3.0 and DLC & RW1, as well as my previous transport/player and power amp (DDS III and AA OM150) have found their way into a very nice sounding, smaller, second stereo system, along with a pair of System Audio 950 speakers, and Legacy and Nordost Blue Heaven interconnects. |
[Aug 25, 1998]
Veda
an Audio Enthusiast
5 stars if it wasn't for the price. This device works quite well with Camelot DACs. Better soundstage, detail, and overall transparency without the dryness. It's simply an irreplaceable component in my system. |
[Dec 18, 2000]
Jim Koukodimos
Audiophile
Champagne technology at a sparkling wine price.My system consists of the Audio Alchemy DDS Pro transport,DTI Pro 32,DDE v3 DAC,all connected with Camelot Audio I2s cables,Classe CAP 150 amp,Audioquest Argent speaker cable,Kimber KCAG interconnects,Dynaudio Contour 2.8 speakers,Velodyne 15" servo subwoofer. |
[Jun 14, 1997]
Chris Steelman
a Casual Listener
The DTI Pro 32 is an already excellent product, as anyone who has integrated it into their system will tell you. More good news is that you can take your system's digital to analog conversion performance up to a completely new level by daisy-chaining a second DTI Pro 32 between your current DTI Pro 32 and your converter (preferably the DDE 3.0 with it's I2S input). With both DTIs set to the appropriate dither settings and connected via their I2S inputs/outputs you will find that the real limitation to your system's resolution will be the quality of the CD's master and/or it's transfer to CD (very real concerns). I run the (variable) output of my DDE 3.0 directly to my amp. The transparency of this setup is unrivalled for the package price.Tweaks- the DTI Pro 32's resolution enhancement "engine" can be upgraded with their adaptive dither chip upgrade. Another enhancement is to toss the stock I2S cables and use a higher quality shielded I2S cable (another benefit here is less interference with your TV signal). And yet another enhancement that becomes even more important when you daisy-chain the Pro 32s is to use the upgraded/regulated power supplies (e.g., Power Station 2). These regulated supplies allow the Pro 32's voltage regulation dept. to loaf, providing better sound and a cooler unit. The result of all these upgrades is a verrrrrry relaxed yet highly propulsive holographic soundstage. Image placement is very 3-D (3.5-D?). |
[Aug 30, 1999]
Jimmy James
an Audiophile
Tried several times to submit this review under the exisitng category and post but no luck. So here goes anyway. These little black boxes are available on the used market for $500-600. Try to verify B4 you buy which chip is resident. You need version 3 or 4 to work properly and I would not recommend buying one of these without first making sure of the availability of a replacement chip (HCM, Music Direct or Channel Island Audio). As a jitter reduction box, it has no peer except for maybe the Genesis Lens. As an adjustable word length, Digital signal processor and HDCD decoder, it can't be beat at the current price point. Where this little box shines is extrapolating 24 bit word length from 16 bit cd's and sending it virtually jitter free to the dac of your choice via Aes/ebu, I2S or coax. 20bit dacs work great with this unit, 24 will work better. Set at the 24 bit word length, going thru a high quality 20 bit dac, you can hear more detail, air and extended highs and lows. Cymbals on some recording seem to shimmer thru the Pro32 where without they are meerly there. The 32 does not alway s work magic on recordings. Higher bit mastering seems to work especially well; Mofi, the New Blue Note RVG 24bit masters and other premium discs. It only makes since that if 20 or 24 bit mastering is used and then down sampled that the DSP extrapolation software in the pro 32 "could" reproduce those same bits. It may not do it bit for bit but it does do something that sounds incredibly right. The 32 also does HDCD, that is it passes the HDCD code intact to an HDCD capable outboard dac if you set the mode buttons to HDCD. Maybe soemday there will be a box that you can select GAIN, GAINII, Superbit Mapping, etc. to decode the way HDCD works now. Until then there is the 32 or the $5000 dCS Purcel or $7500dCS 972 which upsamples with a more extravagant algorithem than possible for $500. |
[May 04, 2001]
ai_god
Audiophile
Strength:
Transparency, tightness of bass, airyness of highs, overall incredibly smooth sound.
Weakness:
None. This machine is magnificent. Since it is available so cheap you can pair it with a relatively inexpensive cd-player with HDCD capability and then you will be getting sound that in my opinion approaches the sound of systems costing thousands more... |
[May 08, 1998]
john
an Audio Enthusiast
My dig front end: Theta Pro Basic II and an EAD T-7000 transport.I just wanted to concur with above reviews in my enthusiasm (of course who takes the time to submit bad reviews??). I picked up a DTI Pro (not 32) for $399, although it is essentially identical to a 32 per Rob Harley, which is a steal considering the great benefit it has on digital separates. My only twist to add to the techy talk above is, you an try to save money also by connecting your drive to processor with Rad. Shack rca connectors. I had great results with this after trying some expensivo cables -- unless you like to spend bucks for ultra audiophile cables. This jitter redux device really does work. It improves virtually EVERY aspect of the music, and you don't have to sacrifice a bit of dynamics, aliveness, etc. -- it improves those too. So if you've already spent far too much on a digital front end but hear harshness, look for one of these in the used classifieds. They ARE going for great bargain prices and are worth the investment. |
[Mar 12, 1997]
shane
an Audiophile
Teac T1 transport trichord clock 2 modified, seperate PSU,silver AC chord connected to Audio Alchemy DTI PRO 32PS2 via I2S bus cable made possible by the |
[Oct 04, 1997]
david derrick
an Audio Enthusiast
System:DTI pro32, DDS Pro, DDEV3.0, all by Audio Alchemy, all connected by Camelot Audio Excalibur III I2S bus cables; YBA Integre integrated amplifier; |